Electric switch actuator



June 23, 1953 GEEL 2,643,307

ELECTRIC SWITCH ACTUATOR Filed Aug. 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORZ Jomv d. Ger-L.

ATTORNEYS.

June 23, 1953 J. J. GEEL 2,643,307

ELECTRIC SWITCH ACTUATOR Filed Aug. 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: JOHN J. C'IE'EL.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1953 ELECTRIC SWITCH ACTUATOR JohrrJ. Geel, Charlotte; N'..Q., assignor to .FranccsE. Shreve, Charlotte, N. 0.

Application August 16, 1951,? S erial No; 242,147

'1 This invention relates. to electric: switches: and more particularly to an improvedmechanism for actuating the same. While not. limited: thereto,v

this electric switch actuator is particularly adapted to operate electrically operable. staplers and the like, such as is shown in my pending patent application, Serial No.f189 ,535, filed October 11, 1950, and entitled. Electrically Operable Stapler Actuator.

The stapler shown in my co-pending application is actuated by means of abellscrank and a solenoid formoving thestapler to drivea staple through material and the solenoidv is actuated by a manually operable switch. In using a stapler of this type, material tobe stapled is placed beneath the stapler head and the :manual switch is actuated to drive the staple through the material and'while this actuatoris a marked improvement over hand operated staplers, a considerable amount-of time and motion is used in positioning the material to be stapledand .thenactuating the manual switch and when. the stapler is used extensively this time and motion. becomes an important factor from a cost' standpoint. It a is, therefore, the primary object of thisinvention to provide a switch actuator particularly adapted-to be used with a stapler and actuator therefor whereby the positioning of. materialv to be stapled will engage'means on the switch actuator to-automati-cally actuate the switch of the. stapler actuator to cause'a staple tobe driven throughthe material.

It is to be understood that the improved switch actuator may' readily be: used for many purposes and while the same is particularly adapted for use with an electrically operable stapler and is illustrated in combination with such a stapler, it is another objectof this invention .to provideia switch actuator for actuating a sensitive switch upon material'engagi'ng the switch actuator.

It is another object of this invention to: provide a switch actuator in combination with a sensitive switch and having slidable means associated with said switch and adapted to engage means on the switch for opening or closing thesame and said slidable'means being provided with contact elementsadapted to be engaged by material whereby upon material'engaging the contact means on the slidable'means, the latter Will move relative to the switch'to engage the means thereon for opening or closing the same. This invention may readily be-usedto adapt a sensitive switch toa limitswitch" for variouspurposes.

Morespecifical'Iy; it is an object of this invention to provideina sensitive switch havi Claims. (01. ZOO-r52) plunger for opening-orclosing the same and also having a. .pivoted; lever= arm extending over: said plunger. and. the lever. arm having a roller on the free end thereof,. novel means for engaging said roller to depress the lever arm ---to move said plunger to open or close the switch comprising a housing'associated with. said switch, a slidable member slidablymounted in said housing insuperposed relation to the lever armof said switch, said slidable member havinga cam or dog pivotally mounted therein and adapted to engage the roller on said lever arm for depressing the same and contact means onsaid. slidable -member adapted to be contacted by material to be processedformoving saidslidable member to a position where the cam or-dog carried thereby will engage the: roller on. the leverarm to depressthe same to-actuate said switch.

It-isanother. object. of this invention. .to provide a switch actuator of the type described wherein the cam or dog carried by the slidablemember is so constructed as-to depress the roller on the lever arm whentheslidable member is moved in one direction-and to ride-over the rolleronthe lever arm when the slidable .member is. moved in the other direction.

Some of the. objects of the invention having been stated, other 'objectswill appear as the .description proceeds when taken in. connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich' Figure 1 isan-isornetric View of the novel-switch actuator and illustrating a stapler device with which the switch-actuator may be associated;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the switch actuator and stapler at a reduced scale, takensubstantially along the line 22 in Figurel;

Figure 3-is a schematic wiring diagram showing the electric circuit associated with this invention;

Figure 4318 an isometric View of the switch actuator per se and illustrating one form of contact means'therefor;

FigureB is an elevation ofthe switch actuator looking, at. the left-hand side of Figure 4' and showing. another: form-oi contact. means;

Figure 6 is anen'd view of the invention looking at the right hand': end of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an. enlarged view. of the upper right-- handtporti'ontof Eigure=5 with. parts in section and showing 'thetcam in the positionmaintainedprior tooperatio'ni of thelswitchcactuator;

Figure- 8 isian elevational view similar to Figure '7' butshowing thet-camdepressing the roller upon the slidable memberfbeing-partially moved;

Figures-15a view similarl toiFigure-8 but: showmovement of the roller 50.

ing the cam in the position assumed after the lever arm has been depressed but prior to riding back over the roller.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral I broadly designates the switch actuator which is shown in Figures 1 and 2 in association with an electrically operable staple actuator II having a base portion I2 which may be of any suitable construction such as stamped metal and is provided with a top I3, side walls I t and I 5 and end walls I6, only one of which is shown in the drawings.

The electrically operable stapler actuator-is illustrated to show one type of device. with which the switch actuator may be used; it being understood that the invention is not limited to use with the stapler actuator illustrated. The particular stapler actuator shown is of the type disclosed in my co-pending patent application, Electrically Operable Stapler Actuator. Serial No. 189.535. filed October 11. 1950, and includes a housing I I which carries a solenoid I8 and a bell crank Illa for actuating an arm I90; of a stapler) suitably positioned on the base portion l2. The side wall I t, of the base I2, has an opening therein around which a plate 2| is fixedly mounted in any suitable manner, such as by screws 22, and in which a'threaded shaft 23 is mounted for sliding movement. The threaded shaft 23 has a knob 24 threadably mounted on the outer end thereof. and threadably mounted thereon immediately adjacent the side wall I 4 are a pair of lock nuts 25, the purpose of which will be later described.

The inner end of the threaded shaft 23 is fixedlymounted, in any suitable manner, such as welding. on a U-shaped bracket or housing having its up er edges turned inwardly toward each other to form portions 3| and 32. The U- shaped bracket 30 fits around another U-shaped The U-shaped bracket 30 and the 'U-shaped bracket are held in fixed relation to 'each other by bolts 40 and M and these brackets 30 and 35 form a housing for a sensitive electric switch 42 such as a Mioroswitch. The switch 42 is held in adjustable fixed relation inside the U- shaped member 35 by the bolts 40 and M. The switch 42 may be of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,960,020 to P. K. McGall. The switch 42 has pivotally mounted thereon, as at 45, an operating lever I5 which extends to the right in Figures 4 and 5 or rearwardly of the staple actuator I I and is bent downwardly and rearwardly again and on the outermost end of whichis fixedly mounted in any suitable manner a U-shaped roller bracket 4? in which a roller is rotat'ably mounted as at 5i.

Threadably mounted in the operating lever 46. between the pivot point 45 and the roller 50, is a set screw 48 having a'lock nut 39 threadably mounted thereon which is in'vertical alinernent with a plunger 53 which isa conventional part of the sensitive switch 42/ The set screw 53 allows minute adjustment of the opening and closing time of the switch 42 in relation to the vertical Movement of the plunger 43 serves to make or break an electrical circuit in a well known'manner. .In the switch illustrated, the plunger serves to complete an electrical circuit upon being depressed but it is to be understood that the switch actuator may also be used with a plunger which breaks a circuit when depressed.

By referring to Figures 4 and 7, it will be observed that the turned-in portions 3| and 32 of the U -shaped bracket 39 and the turned-in portions 35 and 31' of the U-shaped bracket 35 are spaced from each other to form a guide for sliding means such as a plate member 55. The forward or left-hand end-of the sliding member 55 in Figure 5, is turned down toform a downwardly extending portion 56 which acts as a stop to limit rearward movement of the sliding member 55 relative to the switch 42. The rear end of the sliding member 55 is provided with a notch 69 therein in which a switch actuator member in the form of a cam or dog 6| is eccentrically pivotally mounted on a transversely extending shaft 62. The shaft 62 is fixedly mounted on the rear end of the sliding member 55 in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The shaft 62 is in thesame plane as the, portions 3| and32 of the housing 30 and acts as a stop to limit forward movement of the sliding member 55 as this shaft 62 comes into contact with the inturned portions SI and 32 of the U-shaped bracket 30 (Figures 4 and '7). The cam 6| is provided with cam surfaces 65, 66 and a lip 51, the purposes of which will be later described. The sliding member 55 is provided with a hole 51 (Figure 4) which is provided to give access to the set screw 48 for adjustment thereof.

Fixedly mounted in any suitable manner as by a pressed fit in the sliding member 55 is a spring perch I0 around which one end of a tension spring H is mounted, the forward end of the tension spring II being mounted on a spring perch I2 fixedly mounted to the inturned ortion-32 of the U-shaped bracket 30 in any suitable manner as by welding; I

It is thus seen that the spring II will normally urge the sliding member 55 to a forward position. or the position shown in Figure 4, that is, with the shaft 62 acting as a stop and resting against the inturned portionsfll and 32 of the U-shaped member 30 and with the cam Si in the position shown in Figures 5 and 7.

If desired, the downturned portion 55 of the sliding member 55 may be utilized as a contact element to be contacted by material to be processed for actuating the switch. However, in many instances, such as in using the switch actu-3 ator with a stapler of the type described, it is necessary or desirable to provide an additional contact element or elements. To this end, there is illustrated a contact element in the form of a U-shaped slide actuator 15 which is fixedly secured, as by welding, to the front end of the sliding member 55 or to the portion 55 thereof. The U-shaped slide actuator I5 has upturned portions 16 and "I? thereon which are adapted to extend through elongated slots and BI in the topportion I3 of the base I2 and have free movement, forwardly and rearwardly in said slots.-vv

Y The base I2 is provided with a removable bottom 32 on which isfixedly mounted in any suitable manner, such as welding, a U-shaped channel member 83-(Figure 2) having upturned side portions 83a and 83b in which. the bottom or the U-shaped bracket 30 is slidably mounted. In operation; the switch actuator I0 maybe placed in any position along the U-shaped channel 83 by loosening the knob 24 on the outer end of the threaded shaft 23 and moving the switch actuator [0 along the channel member 83 along with the U-shaped bracket 15 and .then tightening the ama-s07 knob 24" against the plate' 2 I to hold'lthetswitch actuator in the desired-"position to thus position the contact element 'fi in the desired position. The nuts 25, having previously 'beentightened against the inner surface of walll l swservezasl a backing for" the relatively I thin-' material from which wall is made. '?I hus,'---the displacement between the leading edge of' the material to be stapled and the "point -at" which-the stapleis driven intosaid-material may be varied asdesired.

After the' switch actuator i lll has been placed in the desired "position -so that the st'aple -will be driven through the material: at "the desired distanceaway from-the edge thereof, the mate'- rial to be stapled is' th'en .movedabetween the jaws or the stapler-and into engagement 'with the "upturned portions 16 and 11 of the Li -shaped bracket 15. Continued movement of the: material against -the-upturned portions 15' and TT cause the sliding plate 55 tobe moved rearwardly against the tension of the tensi'on spring Due to'the'fact't'hat'the"lip portion 5'l of the-"cam SI engages the lower edge=of "the'-'sliding* plate 55, the cam 6| will be positioned as shown-in Figures 7 and8 and, as-the'cam'surfaces 85- and 66 successively engage the roller-=50;- the" roller 50 along with the-actuator lev'er 46 is f'orceddownwardly or clockwise around'the pivotpointfi' to bring the set-screw 48- intc engagementwith the plunger 43 to'actuat'e and close the switch 42.

The switch- 42' is provided with suitable wires 85' and 86. The' wire 85- leads: from a contact- 81 to a plug 88 '(Figure 3). The wire 86 leads from a contact 89 within-the switch fl to one-side of the solenoid 18. The contact 89' has mounted thereon one end of a-contact bar '89a which momentarily completes the electric circuit from the contact 81' as-theplunger 43' is depressed by theset screw 48. A'- wire' w leads from the sole-- noid iB-to the plu'gfi8 to'compl'ete" the circuit between the-swit'chfl and thesolenoid 18. The plug 88 may be connected to any=suitable source of electrical energy.

It will thus be observed that the stapler i9 is actuated almost simultaneously upon depression of the roller 50 in themannendescribed to thus drive a staple through' the material'to be processed.

As the stapled material is withdrawn from beheath-the stapler 19, the tension spring II will move the sliding member Siforwardly along with the contact-member andtthencam surface; 56 of the'cam GI will engage the roller and cause the cam. 6| to pivot and ride. .over theroller- 50 without depressing the same,..as isclearlyshow-n in. Figure 9, to thus positionithe sliding member and the cam 6| in substantially the position shown in Figure 7 to again be operated in the manner described.

In using the switch actuator with an electric stapler of the type described, it is frequently desirable to staple material such as paper at the corner thereof and to accomplish this result, the contact member 15 may be suitably modified as by means of an auxiliary bracket 9| (Figure 4) which has a pair of bores 92 therein which are slidably penetrated by the upturned portions 16 and H of the member 15. The bracket Si is provided with a forwardly facing opening 93 positioned substantially in the center portion thereof and the forward edges of the bracket defining the opening 93 are turned up to form portions 94 and 95 against which the corners of material to be stapled are placed. It is thus seen that 6. thexcornerszfon materiaLliby using the auxiliary bra'cketfilpmay be used? to'actuate the switch tozthusfiautomatically position. astaple at'approximately 2; forty-five degree angle .in the corneriof the'material.

'.'When' the material. to be stapled is not wide enoughcto" contact theuupturned'portions I6 and TI "of the member 15, an L-shaped. auxiliary bracketafiim'ay be'provided. The L-shaped auxi'liary bracket 96"fits on the upturned. portions 76 and." 'in thesamei manner as the bracket S lf'previously described, and hasan opening 91 in'itheiverticaL'flange thereof which is provided to: allow the staple 'drivingriarm'of the stapler to be move'd: downwardly sufficiently to allowthe staple? to be driven throughzthe material. .It; .is 7

thus seen"'that as narrow material is pressed against the' vertical flange of the L-shaped bracket 96; the contactmember 15 will be moved rearwardly in the manner previously described, toactuate the switchdZ for stapling the material.

.Thfii upturned. portions 16 and 11 are provided withta plurality of notchesJQS therein (Figure 5) which provide a rough surface on which the edge ofthe paper ormaterial to 'be stapled may be placed to prevent slippage, as the material is pressed again'st'the upturned portions 16 and 11 of the member '15.

It is thus seen that I have provided novel and efficient means for actuating a sensitive switch, which means are particularly useful in combination with electrically operable staplers.

I In thedrawings' and specification there has been set'forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are em; ployed' they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only-and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being'de'fined in the claims.

I claim:

1. An actuator for a sensitive switch having a plunger for opening or closing the same and also having-a pivoted lever arm extending over said plunger and said lever arm having a roller on the free end thereof, said actuator comprising meansfor engaging said roller to depress the lever arm to move said plunger to open or close the switch including a housing partially enclosing said switch and havinga slot therein positioned over said lever, a slidable member slidably mounted between the slotted portion of the housing and said switch in superposed relation to'the lever'arm of said switch, said slidable member having a cam pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof and adapted to engage the rolleron said lever arm for depressing the same, u-shaped' contact means fixed on the. end of said slidable memberremote from said cam and adapted to be contacted by material being processed for moving said slidable member to a position where the cam carried thereby will engage the roller 0n the lever arm to depress the same to actuate the switch, and spring means normally urging said slidable'member and cam away from said roller.

2. An actuator for a sensitive switch having a plunger for opening or closing the same and also having a pivoted lever arm extending in and said wall being slotted above said lever arm, a slidable planar member slidably mounted between said slotted wall of said housing in superposed relation to the lever arm of said switch, said slidable member having a cam pivotally mounted on one end thereof and adapted to engage the roller on said lever arm for depressing the same, U-shaped contact means on the end of said slidable member remote from said cam and adapted to be contacted by material being processed for moving said slidable member to a position where the cam carried thereby will engage the roller'on the lever arm to depress the same to actuate the switch, a pin fixed on said slidable member and extending upwardly through said slot, and a spring connected at one end to said pin and at its other end to said housing for normally urging said slidable member in a direction opposite to that in which it is moved by material being processed.

3. An actuator for a sensitive switch having a plunger for opening or closing the same and also having a pivoted lever arm extending in superposed relation to said plunger and said lever arm having a roller on the free end thereof, said actuator comprising means for engaging said roller to depress the lever arm to move said plunger to open or close the switch including a housing partially enclosing and fixed to said switch, a slidable member slidably mounted between one wall of said housing and said switch in superposed relation to the lever arm of said switch, said slidable member having a cam pivotally mounted thereon and adapted to engage the roller on said lever arm for depressing the same, contact means on said slidable member adapted to be contacted by material being processed for moving said slidable member to a position where the cam carried thereby will engage the roller on the lever arm to depress the same to actuate the switch, and said cam carried by the slidable member being so constructed so as to depress the roller on the lever arm when the slidable member is moved in one direction and to ride over the roller on the lever arm when the slidable member is moved in the other direction, a spring means connected to said housing and to said slidable member for normally urging said slidable member in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is moved by saidmaterial, and an adjustment bolt fixed to one wall of the housing and extending therefrom for adjustably mounting said housing and said switch in adevice to be controlled by said switch.

4. An actuator for a sensitive switch having a plunger for opening and closing the same and having a pivoted lever extending in superposed relation to said plunger and said lever having a-r'oller on the free end thereof, said actuator comprising a housing enclosing said switch, a trackwayin the upper portion ofsaid housing, an L-shaped member slidably mounted in the trackway in said housing in superposed relation to the lever of said switch, one arm of said L-shaped-member being adapted to engage said switch"to -limit the movement thereof in one direction and the other arm of said L-shaped memher having a slot in the free end thereof, a pin spanning said slot, a cam pivotally mounted on said pin and depending in said slot, said cam being irregular inishape whereby upon movement thereof inone direction it will engage and depress said roller to actuate said switch and upon movement thereof in the other direction the cam-will'ride over said roller without actuating said switch.

5. An actuator for a sensitive switch having a plunger for opening and closing the same and having ,a pivoted lever extending in superposed relation to saidplunger-and said lever having a roller on the free end thereof, said actuator comprising a-housing enclosing said switch, a trackway in the upper portion of said housing, an L-shaped member slidably mounted in the trackway in said housing in superposed relation to the lever of said switch, one arm of said L-shaped member being adapted to engage said switch to limit the-movement thereof in one direction and the other arm of said L-shaped'member having'a slot in the free end thereof, a pin spanning said slot, a cam pivotally mounted on said pin and depending in said slot, said cam being irregular in shape whereby upon movement thereof in one direction it will engage and depress said roller to actuate said switch and uponmovement thereof in the other direction thecam will ride over said roller without actuating said switch, and spring means normally urging said L-shaped member in a direction oppositeto the direction in which it moves to actuate said-switch.

JOHN J. GEEL.

lteferences Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,582,217 Henry Apr. 27, 1926 1,940,980 Svenson Dec. 26, 1933 2,093,689 Svenson Sept. 21, 1937 2,272,533 Svenson Feb, 10, 1942 2,331,997 "Nensenkamp Oct. 19, 1943 2,338,365 Thorp Jan. 4, 1944, 2,500,217 Taylor Mar. 14, 1951 2,570,944: Hauser Oct. 9, 1951 

